Las Vegas — Flyweight Josh Van has wanted to carry the flag of his native Myanmar to the octagon for a while now, and finally received permission to do so at UFC 313.
Which makes his victory over the previously undefeated Rei Tsuruya all the sweeter.
The hiccup, with Van barred from walking out with his country’s flag prior to Saturday, came because the U.S. doesn’t recognize the name Myanmar across all walks of government. Instead, in some agencies, Burma, as the Southeast Asian nation was formerly known, is still in use.
To make matters more confusing, at least in English, Burma stuck until about 1989. Adding to that confusion, in the Burmese tongue, both names can be used. Yet the country, which declared independence from Britain in the late 1940s, exists, and the United Nations recognizes Myanmar.
“It was just excitement. I was just very, very excited to represent my country,” Van (13-2) said backstage on Saturday, speaking with media outlets including Cageside Press. “The whole week I was just smiling and laughing. The weight cut was easy, the camp was easy. I was just happy and excited.”
While fans might look at the fight as Myanmar versus Japan, with Tsuruya representing the latter, Van didn’t get into that nationalistic rivalry. “I could care less about what he’s got going on over there. I’m just happy that I get to bring my flag. Shout out to Myanmar.”
Van earned himself his third consecutive win at UFC 313, with all three going to the scorecards. He feels Tsuruya’s stubborn refusal to abandon a wrestling-based approach that clearly was working came down to fear of being knocked out. As for when he wants to return – let’s just say soon.
“Next week,” Van said with a laugh. “You know how the ranking is bullsh*t, so I don’t know who to call out. But hopefully they give me a better opponent.”
Van also noted that given the nature of MMA, with opponents dropping out, his approach on Saturday wasn’t tailored to Rei Tsuruya.
“The game plan is to punch people in the face. We never train for just one person, just because, even my last opponent, they just cancel right away and get me him. So we always prepare for everybody. I was just well-prepared.”
Of note in the fight, Van vs. Tsuruya was the first time in UFC history where two fighters born in the 2000s have faced off. It was bound to happen at some point, with Gen Z having come into fighting age.
“The next generation, you know MMA world just keeps getting better. The younger generation will be better than us as well,” Van said regarding the milestone. “Representing a new generation of fighting just feels amazing, man.”
Watch the full UFC 313 post-fight press conference with Josh Van above.
